Monday tips and a horse who will not be beaten this season

Well, the rain we were asking for arrived in droves this week. In doing so it gave the the November Meeting at Cheltenham a truly authentic National Hunt vibe.

Sean Bowen was sensational on Wade Out in the novices’ chase on Friday. Seemingly flat out from an early stage, despite the heavy conditions, Wade Out's jumping on just his second chase start was far from fluent with a couple of notable mistakes.

Yet Bowen kept encouraging and cajoling to just about keep in touch with his rivals before finding reserves up the hill when his mount's abundant stamina came to the fore.

Bowen received plenty of praise for his tenacity, and rightly so but what impressed me more was the guile and tact he showed.

It would have been easy to resort to his stick and to drive for all his might, but strength is a much-overstated attribute in a jockey. Horses will often push back when feeling extreme pressure and this strength of ride was far more important for the balance and feel the champion jockey showed in the saddle, horses quite simply want to run for him.

Earlier this season, I said he’s the best I’ve seen, and while ‘best’ can be judged and debated through a variety of lenses I stand by my opinion even more steadfastly.

If the riding accolade went to Bowen, the training accolade must go to Dan Skelton.

Twice a close runner-up in the trainers’ championship, he seems determined to get it right this time around.

He’s made an excellent start and from his large string of horses he’s cherry picking the big pots with suitable candidates.

Skelton landed the Shloer Chase with a, fit to the minute L’Eau Du Sud, whose superior fitness was able to bridge the gap in raw talent over a ring-rusty Jonbon.

I’ve little doubt this will be the crowning moment of L’Eau du Sud’s season, but it was a plan well executed.

The equine performance of Friday came courtesy of No Drama This End, as he sauntered home to make a winning debut in the Grade Two Albert Bartlett Novice Hurdle.  

He will face stiffer challenges but to beat experienced opposition, and most of them had the benefit of race fitness, which means this is display worthy of an upgrade.

Saturday again saw Skelton hit the target with a well-executed raid on the Paddy Power Gold Cup. 

Panic Attack was a previous Listed winner at this track over hurdles and had proven form on slow ground so plenty was going in her favour.

And a well-judged uncomplicated ride from Harry Skelton she stayed on well up the hill to draw away from the progressive runner up Vincenzo.

The Sunday highlight came from Navan where Final Demand danced over the fences on his first chase start. 

I’m a broken record on my dislike of the “bound to improve for a fence because he’s a good size’ rhetoric but Final Demand has size and intelligence, the drone footage from Racing TV helpfully showed how cleverly he shimmied his feet into fence number two and that set the mood for his entire round with a few power-packed leaps also in his toolbox when required.  

He will not be beaten this season. 

Racing TV has plenty of racing covered on Monday including the re-arranged Saturday card from Navan where Kopek Des Bordes will make his chase debut. Lulamba will also make his debut over fences at Exeter. 

I have three selections: 

Tom Symonds gelding held an entry at Cheltenham this weekend but bypassed that in favour of a lesser assignment here. 

He was a winner over this trip at Huntingdon last season off a mark of 108 and shaped promisingly at Cheltenham on his seasonal return last month, when beaten just five lengths into third. 

It’s a near certainty that runners from the Symonds yard step forward from their first starts of the season and with the in-form Callum Pritchard (his past three rides have all been winners) able to claim 5lb he should be capable of landing this.  

Finished third on his chase debut behind Wade Out and Wendigo at Worcester in October. 

A mark of 121 looks extremely attractive on his handicap debut given he was beaten 12 lengths conceding 7lb to that pair, considering they hold ratings of 137 (prior to Friday’s win) and 143 respectively. 

A winner at this course over hurdles last season he can maintain the momentum of the Dan Skelton stable. 

Venetia Williams is yet to hit top form this season but Hill Of Tara is too well handicapped to ignore. 

A winner on his first start last season he races here of a mark of 99, which is 7lb lower than his hurdle mark. 

He wasn’t seen to best effect over fences at the start of this year, but a summer break may well have revitalised him. If so, he is well weighted.